Bright and Colorful Downtown Wedding at Everett West in Portland, OR
There’s something about planning a romantic event in the middle of a bustling city; in the heart of downtown. It’s alluring, almost like a metaphor for focusing on the most important thing in the middle of chaos. We loved planning Jen & Alex’s wedding smack dab in the middle of downtown Portland, OR at a modern industrial venue, Everett West. The unique part about Everett West was its hidden courtyard, which allowed this wedding to take place indoors and outdoors.
Jen & Alex’s day began with each of their respective wedding party participants, getting ready at nearby hotels. From there, they moved to their parents’ home to partake in the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. This ceremony is an act which allows the couple to honor their parents and other family members by serving them tea, after which they are given red envelopes with gifts and money.
If you plan to incorporate this ceremony in your wedding day, we recommend scheduling at least an hour to enjoy the experience. Though traditionally this occurs after the couple has exchanged vows, a modern take may be to host this following hair & makeup in the morning, before everyone’s dressed in their wedding attire. That’s what Jen & Alex decided to do for their day. Following the tea ceremony, they still enjoyed a First Look in their wedding attire.
The remainder of their day was a wonderful whirlwind of friends and family gathering in the middle of the city, with a ceremony and cocktail hour outside in the courtyard, followed by a reception and dance party indoors. Before the dancing began, however, the couple were surprised with a special slideshow of their core memories together.
We have always been fond of planning city weddings. After moving to New England, there is no shortage of downtown Boston venues to explore and be inspired by for future weddings. we can’t wait to design all over town!
Photographer | Simply Splendid
Venue | Everett West
Florist | Seeds of Clay
Officiant | Melissa Coe
Caterer | White Pepper PDX
Bartender | Artemis Foods
DJ | DJ Nicky
Cake + Desserts | Cake Nouveau
Donuts | Coco Donuts
Rentals | Arden Event Collective
Makeup Artist | Hello Artistry
Hair Stylist | Tiffany Randolph
Signage | Letters and Dust
Planning & Styling | Kamea Events